


Fireworks

by miss_whimsy



Series: Personal Writing Challenge - July 2015 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Birthday Party, Fluff, M/M, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 16:59:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4270968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_whimsy/pseuds/miss_whimsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the 4th of July. It's Steve's birthday. Tony is throwing him one hell of a party.</p><p>Could possibly be read as a sequel to Insomnia for Dummies, or stand-alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> So yesterday I majorly screwed up with my writing challenge, in that what I wrote made no sense to the fandom I wrote it in. This piece today therefore starts on July 3rd and the length of that segment is the same length as the fic I wrote yesterday, which no longer exists.
> 
> Thanks to [skywardsmiles](http://archiveofourown.org/users/skywardsmiles) for the beta. All mistakes are my own.

The party officially started at eight pm on July 3rd.

“You realise my birthday is tomorrow, don’t you?” Steve asked when Tony finally showed up, two hours later.

“Yes,” Tony said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I know when your birthday is. My dad would take me and mom and Jarvis out on the boat and we’d watch the fireworks and he’d tell me all about how awesome you were and how much of a disappointment I was in comparison.”

Steve stared at Tony, horrified, until Tony started to laugh.

“Relax Rogers, relax. I’m kidding.”

Steve let out a sigh of relief.

“My dad never took me anywhere.”

Tony wandered away to grab himself a drink, missing the look of longing that followed him.

“Please,” Bucky said, appearing at Steve’s elbow. “Not Stark. Anyone but Stark.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Steve said, taking a drink of his beer.

"You're a terrible liar," Bucky said. "You always were. The only reason you get away with lying is that you look like a giant puppy."

"Didn't we have this argument already once?" Steve asked. "I feel like we've had this conversation and it didn't end so well for you."

"It won't end well for you if you set your cap at Stark," Bucky said. "Why not Sam? I like Sam."

Steve looked over at Sam who seemed to be flirting somewhat hopelessly with Maria.

"Sam likes ladies," Steve said. "Exclusively."

"Natasha then."

Steve choked on his beer this time and then started to laugh. "No."

"What's wrong with Natasha?" Bucky asked.

"Nothing," Steve said, holding up his hands. "I adore Natasha. She's like a sister to me. And even if she wasn't, I'm pretty sure I'd be getting between something there."

Bucky frowned and immediately looked for Natasha, who was leaning against the bar, talking with Tony and Clint.

The bottle Bucky was holding shattered.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about," Steve said. "Now I have to clean that up."

-

"You want to make this party last all day?" Natasha asked Tony, giving him a look that said she thought he was crazier than usual.

"Until midnight tomorrow," Tony said. "All through Steve's birthday."

Clint groaned. "A twenty-eight hour party?"

"If anyone could do it, it would be Tony," Rhodey said, walking over. "Though surely it would be quicker and easier just to ask him out."

"We're going to need more guests," Natasha said. "Everyone here can't last a day without sleep. They're not all Avengers."

"This is the kind of thing that takes months of planning," Clint added.

"Wrong," Tony said. "It's best to be spontaneous. Trust me. This will work."

"Oh I wish you hadn't said that," Natasha said, pulling out her phone. "I have to report in every time you say 'trust me'."

"I am wounded, Natasha," Tony said, amused. "Deeply hurt. Wait and report me later, so we get a new wave of guests."

Natasha shook her head, but she put her phone away.

*

The fireworks started at midnight.

"Happy Fourth of July," Steve said to those assembled on the roof.

"Happy birthday, Steve," Tony and Bucky said simultaneously.

"Oh it's going to be a long day," Clint murmured to Natasha. "Twenty bucks says Steve makes the first move."

"You're on."

*

An hour later, Steve was still on the roof, watching another flurry of fireworks over the city. Tony hesitated in the doorway when he saw him, unsure of what to say. 

“Would you mind some company?” he called, making Steve turn his head. Tony’s breath caught slightly when Steve grinned at him and waved him over. He had it bad.

“Not at all.”

Tony walked over slowly to join him at the rail. “Having fun?”

“I’ll be happier when the after-party gets going,” Steve said, nudging Tony’s shoulder slightly with his own. “I’ve never been big on crowds of people.”

“The after-party might have to be pushed back slightly,” Tony told him. “A lot of people are staying over.”

If Steve was surprised he didn’t show it. He smiled and pointed out some more fireworks on the other side of the river. Tony shifted closer under the pretense of getting a better view, and Steve didn’t move away.

*

The after-party never seemed to get started. People were still dancing when Steve woke up the next morning.

"What's all this?" he asked, stepping into the kitchen. Natasha had changed from one party dress into a slightly less formal one. Tony was still in his suit, but was now also wearing sunglasses. Wanda appeared to be cooking pancakes, which Sam was turning into miniature versions of Steve's shield with a variety of fruit and cream.

"Good morning, birthday boy," Tony greeted him. "The after-party starts now."

"After-party?" Steve said. "It's morning."

"Which is when all the best after-parties take place," Tony told him. "This one is going to be on the beach."

"Okay," Steve drawled. "Um... I'll get my swimsuit."

"I got it," Natasha assured him. "Relax, Rogers. This is a party."

*

Beach parties were way easier to make last all day, Tony thought, especially on the 4th of July. Swimming, sunbathing, a picnic, a bonfire. What could be better?

Well, sitting next to Steve would be better, for one thing. Not that he didn’t adore Mrs. Barton.

“Steve’s friend is nice,” she told him as she started digging through her bag for her sunscreen. 

Tony looked automatically for Bucky and found him with Steve and Sam a little further along the beach, tossing a football around.

“He’s so handsome and funny,” Laura continued. Tony felt compelled to stop her.

“Funny?” 

“You don’t think he’s funny?” She stopped rooting around in her bag and fixed him with her full attention. 

Tony wished for an alien invasion or a Hydra attack. Neither were forthcoming.

“I’ve never so much as seen him smile,” Tony told her. “He hates me.”

Laura slapped his arm ever so gently. “Don’t be silly.”

“It’s true,” Tony said. “He disapproves of me.”

“Uh huh,” Laura said, finally locating her lotion. She uncapped it and started to rub her arms. “Is that why you won’t tell Steve you like him?”

“This isn’t high school,” Tony protested. “Steve is…”

“What am I?”

Tony and Laura both looked up to find Steve towering over them, grinning. Half naked.

Laura gave him a little wave while Tony gurgled incoherently. 

“What?”

Laura held out her sunscreen to Steve. “You might want to put some of this on. Tony could help.”

“Actually I don’t burn,” Steve told her, glancing at Tony. “I just wondered if you wanted to come play? Three on three.”

Tony has pushed himself to his feet before Steve finished speaking. “Is Clint playing?”

“No, Natasha,” Steve said, while Laura laughed. “You want to?”

Tony nodded quickly and followed Steve down the beach.

*

The party really did go on all day. People came and left when they wanted to. Steve ended up with a huge pile of presents which left him almost speechless. As the afternoon became evening, they set up the bonfire, and when darkness fell they watched another set of fireworks light up the sky.

Steve ended up a little way from everyone else. Natasha appeared to be trying to convince Bucky to dance with her, not that he needed a lot of convincing. Wanda and Laura were already dancing, trying to teach Vision” some moves. 

“That has to be the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen,” Tony said as he walked over and settled into the sand next to him. “And I’ve seen some pretty weird shit.”

Steve nodded his agreement and took the beer that Tony offered him. “Thanks.”

“Did you have a good birthday?” 

“I had a great birthday,” Steve said and laughed. “Did you do all of this for me?”

“What?” Tony said sharply. “No. No. Why would I do that? That sounds like something a crazy person would do.”

“So you’re admitting it,” Steve teased. Tony nudged him.

“You’re supposed to be the nice one.”

“I think this proves that you…”

“It’s a gesture, Steve,” Tony interrupted. “I’m not good at saying the words. I never have been. I mean I basically tripped and fell into that relationship with Pepper and that’s the only one I’ve ever had and look how that turned out. And you deserve someone really great, someone who Barnes doesn’t hate so much. Someone…”

Steve smiled as he listened to Tony’s nervous chatter, leaning over in the middle of it to cut him off with a kiss. 

“You kissed me,” Tony said when Steve pulled away. 

“Yeah,” Steve said. “And I’m going to do it again.”

“Okay,” Tony sighed. “Good deal.”


End file.
